<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Pancakes by Solstilla</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28185273">Pancakes</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Solstilla/pseuds/Solstilla'>Solstilla</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, jily - Fandom</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Action &amp; Romance, Action/Adventure, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Choose Your Own Adventure, Choose Your Own Ending, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Readers Choose - Freeform, jily</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 21:27:44</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,075</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28185273</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Solstilla/pseuds/Solstilla</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>He glanced up at the clock, pressing his lips together at the time. Dumbledore had only given an estimated return time. The Order had bigger things to worry about than punctuality. James knew this. Of course he knew this. Lily would be home soon.<br/>She had to be.</p>
<p>Readers choose between two options at the end of the chapter what the next one will look like.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>James Potter/Lily Evans Potter</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>16</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Pancakes</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Thank you so so much to my wonderful and amazing beta readers @magicgirlinamuggleworld and @lifelongpotterhead &lt;3<br/>Special thanks to @needle-of-my-own on Tumblr for prompting Jily + Breakfast! This may have gotten a little out of hand.<br/>When I was in my play I helped write this semester, I had a lot of fun developing a choose-your-own-adventure segment of the show. I wanted to play around with the idea in fic. Make sure to read the end notes to vote on what happens for chapter 2!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Lily always loved pancakes. Back in Hogwarts before they had begun dating, he remembered watching her eyes light up when she realized breakfast for the day would include her favorite breakfast treat. Usually, Hogwarts only served a traditional English breakfast, so the sugary fluffy goodness was really a major hit with a lot of the students. Of course, James really only ever had eyes for Lily. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He glanced up at the clock, pressing his lips together at the time. Dumbledore had only given an estimated return time. The Order had bigger things to worry about than punctuality. James knew this. Of course he knew this. Lily would be home soon. </span>
  <em>
    <span>She had to be.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Taking a deep breath to calm his pulse, James set about cutting up strawberry slices to top their pancakes. ‘</span>
  <em>
    <span>She’ll be fine,’</span>
  </em>
  <span> he told himself, turning to the counter and slicing the berries into a bowl. Lily could hold her own. How many times during Defense Against the Dark Arts had she completely obliterated him? If anyone should be concerned, it was the Death Eaters. His fiancée was a force to be reckoned with in a </span>
  <em>
    <span>school</span>
  </em>
  <span> setting. If anyone could handle themselves on the battlefield, it was Lily. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But the clock kept ticking and every little click of the second hand was like a </span>
  <em>
    <span>bang </span>
  </em>
  <span>in the silence left behind by Lily’s absence. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Where was she? </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>No one was allowed to divulge where they were going, but he knew it had to do with intercepting the next Death Eater raid on muggles. Lily had told him they wanted Mary and her specifically because of their knowledge of the muggle world. They left on Monday. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was Saturday and he hadn’t heard a single word from her the whole time. When she was home, they talked until the late hours of the night, they danced barefoot in the kitchen, they made horrible baking mistakes and laughed until their sides were sore.  Logically, James knew this would happen, that Lily being away on her mission would be different. Using reason and rational thought and any shred of common sense he had left, he could safely assume that not hearing from her was actually a good sign. Lily would send a patronus if she needed help. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She wasn’t even that late. Dumbledore had said sometime early Saturday morning, likely around 9 o’clock. It was only 9:15. The time he’d been given was merely an estimate. Lily would return home to him and they could rest and have breakfast and everything would be fine. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Tick tock. Tick. Tock. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Tick. Tock.</span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>James put down the knife he was using to cut the strawberries, whipping around to glare at the clock. It had been a thorn in his side since the moment she left. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The house had never seemed so deafeningly silent. When Lily was around, there was always the sound of muggle records coming from the study or the ruffling of pages as she reread her favorite books any chance she got. There was always life and laughter with Lily home. He missed her giggles and squeals. He missed her horribly off-tune singing in the shower. He missed the sound of her footsteps as she’d come hug him from behind. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Hell, he even missed her cries over her sister’s nasty letters because at least it meant she was with him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The whole week, the house felt so lifeless. Sardonically, he thought the name Godric’s Hollow felt all too fitting now. No footsteps, no laughter, nothing.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Tick tock. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He had to do </span>
  <em>
    <span>something.</span>
  </em>
  <span> This waiting around was driving him mad. He wanted to go fly or change into Prongs and run to clear his head. He wanted out of the house and away from that damn clock. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The only problem with that was, say he </span>
  <em>
    <span>did </span>
  </em>
  <span>go to do something and Lily returned home and he was nowhere to be found? She would be fine, truthfully speaking, if she came home to an empty house. But James didn’t want that. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lily’s mission was long and dangerous and he</span>
  <em>
    <span> missed</span>
  </em>
  <span> her with every fiber of his being. He had to be there to scoop her up the minute she stepped indoors. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>No, he’d wait for her. Mentally, James ran through the little checklist of things he wanted to get done so when she returned home, she would have the warmest welcome back.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Flowers? Check. The sunflower and roses bouquet sat on the table freshly arranged by the florist first thing that morning. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The pancakes were ready with a heating charm over them so that they wouldn’t get cold. Her strawberries were cut up and he should probably wash the dishes. Bounding over to do so, he returned his focus to his checklist. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Flower? Check. Pancakes? Check. Clean house? Check. Everything was already done. He’d spent the day yesterday cleaning the house after the Order meeting. All the groceries were her favorite foods. Lily’s favorite bath salts were all laid out ready to use whenever she chose. James knew Lily would love it when she came home. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>So why couldn’t she just be there already? </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>--</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>An hour had passed since the time Lily was supposed to arrive. The clock was getting louder and James had contemplated the effects of the Ventus jinx on the clock, but given that it was a gift from Lily’s father, he decided against it. </span>
</p>
<p> <span>The mission was probably just running a little late, that was all. Nothing was wrong. If something happened, Dumbledore would tell him. </span></p>
<p>
  <span>--</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Two hours had passed and James found himself pacing up and down the entryway. Surely Lily would be home any second, right? This mission had lasted almost a full week, what was a few hours? Afterall, James tried to reason with himself, Dumbledore had only said sometime in the morning; 9 was just an estimate. There was still an hour until noon. Lily would be home within the hour. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>--</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ding. Ding. Ding. Ding. Ding. Ding. Ding. Ding. Ding. Ding. Ding. Ding. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The clock sang over and over again, twelve dings, taunting him, mocking him that his fiancée was not yet home. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>With shaking hands, James grabbed a clump of floo powder, got onto his knees, and threw the floo, shoving his head into the fireplace. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Remus! Remus!” Footfalls coming in fast told him Remus was running to the floo. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What’s wrong? What’s happened?” James shook his head, not sure if he should even qualify this as something happening, yet his gut told him that something was off. If Lily was okay, she would have sent him a patronus by now telling him she’d be a little late.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Lily hasn’t returned home yet,” he murmured, his voice stiff with the effort it took him not to panic. “She hasn’t contacted me at all. Not her, or Dumbledore, or Mary. What if something’s wrong?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Remus nodded slowly, taking in that information. “She was supposed to be back around 9?” James nodded his confirmation. “It’s only noon. She’s been on this mission all week. I’m sure there’s just a few loose ends they’re just tying up.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>James swallowed back the lump in his throat. He’d been trying to believe that all morning, but there was </span>
  <em>
    <span>something wrong</span>
  </em>
  <span>. He could just feel it. “Where’s Sirius?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Remus sighed, turning around and calling towards the ceiling. “Padfoot! Prongs is on the floo for us!” There was a moment of silence where James was relieved for the lack of a clock at Remus’s apartment at the very least, and then a few thunks overhead. Remus grimaced, as if knowing Sirius’s exact movements. He nodded to himself, wearing his exasperation on his face as he turned his attention toward the hallway. James followed his eye and watched Sirius slide down the railing and bound over to the fireplace. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Prongs! How’s Lily?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>James took a shuddering breath, and it wasn’t because of the ash from the fireplace. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sirius’s face fell and he sat on the floor by the fire, his legs tucked underneath him. “What’s wrong? What’s happened? Is she hurt?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>James felt his hand twitch from where it supported him in Godric’s Hollow as it tried to ruffle his hair. “I don’t know.” He blinked hard, feeling his eyes sting. The embers of the fire sizzled with steam. “She’s not home yet. She was supposed to be home three hours ago and I don’t know if she’s hurt or if she’s fine or what’s going on.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Remus shifted so he was kneeling beside the fire now too. “Prongs, everything’s going to be al-” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You don’t know that Moony! And every other mission we know their location and this one, the one where she’s most in danger of being hurt, this is the one that’s top secret?” James cursed under his breath. “And Dumbledore just expects us to trust him with everything? Never, not once are we allowed to doubt him, or worry, or express any fear, and never ask for</span>
  <em>
    <span> any explanations</span>
  </em>
  <span>!” There was a beat, where James’s anger dissolved into something he couldn’t quite place. Maybe it was doubt. “I know he hasn’t led us wrong before, but…” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But this is Lily.” Sirius finished for him, his eyebrows scrunched together in deep thought. James nodded. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s Lily.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Remus glanced over to Sirius, sharing one of those looks James has seen the two share thousands of times before. It was like they were communicating with only their eyes. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It-It’s Mary too.” James said abruptly, a new type of terror paralyzing him. “If Mary was in danger, Lily would do anything to save her best friend. She’d give her life for her without a second thought.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Remus shook his head. “You don’t know what’s happening on their end.” He sat up a little straighter, inhaling so his chest expanded with his posture. In that movement, he donned a new certainty James hadn’t seen in Remus before. </span>
</p>
<p> <span>Sirius rose from where he sat on the ground, seemingly on the same wavelength as Remus. </span></p>
<p>
  <span>“We’re going to go to Headquarters and double check that everything is running smoothly, okay? You’re going to stay put and wait for your fianc-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But-” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Prongs. Do you really want Lily to come home from a week-long mission, excited to finally see you again, and be greeted with an empty house, no one home?” Remus peered into his eyes, raising one eyebrow. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What if she’s hurt?” James croaked. Silence again. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Somehow the shuffle of Sirius pulling on his coat was worse than the ticking of the clock. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Then we’ll come get you and we’re gonna make those Death Eaters wish they were never born.” He rose from the ground, glancing back at James wearily. “Stay put. I’m sure everything is fine.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Against his better judgement, James agreed. “Please hurry,” he said before pulling out of the fireplace, coughing at the leftover ash in his mouth. </span>
</p>
<p>--</p>
<p>
  <span>True to his word, James did not leave the house. Passing the time and managing his anxiety was only half the battle. The larger part of him wanted to take action, get out there and find Lily himself. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>By now, even the heating charm on the pancakes couldn’t hold their warmth. James couldn’t be bothered to do anything about it. How could he, when he was beginning to doubt whether or not Lily would even return to him at all? </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Panic coursed through his lungs for about the thousandth time that day at the thought. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Lily? Gone? </span>
  </em>
  <span>He wasn’t sure he could ever survive that. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Noon turned to dusk in what felt like both an eternity and the blink of an eye. He laughed bitterly. How could he lose track of the time with that reminder ticking away? </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His fingers clenched where they sat on his thigh, his knuckles turning bright white and crackling like the dying fire in front of him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>‘</span>
  <em>
    <span>This is maddening,’</span>
  </em>
  <span> he thought. Remus and Sirius should’ve gotten back to him by now…</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His breath caught in his throat and the world came to a standstill. Remus and Sirius should’ve gotten back to him by now. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>No, no more waiting. No more standing by while Lily could be hurt, could be </span>
  <em>
    <span>dying.</span>
  </em>
  <span> James pushed himself off the sofa, scrambling into the bedroom and grabbing his wand off the nightstand. Gripping the mahogany in one hand, he barreled back to the fireplace and scooped out the floo with his other. “The McKinnons!” </span>
</p>
<p><span>The stack of pancakes lay on the counter, untouched from this morning. </span><br/>
 </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>If you enjoyed this and choose to take the time to comment, first of all, thank you! Second of all, please make sure to include which option you'd like to see happen for chapter 2! </p>
<p>A: Sirius and Remus had gone to rescue Lily<br/>B: Sirius and Remus can not be reached, James goes to find Lily himself </p>
<p>Thanks so much for reading! Find me on Tumblr @Solstilla</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>